Oakland County Child Custody Attorney

Child custody is a determination of the time a child is going to be with each parent and each parent’s responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the child. Child custody is the most emotional and traumatic part of family law cases.

In actions involving child custody, the court is governed by the Michigan Child Custody Act of 1970. The Child Custody Act provides that custody of a child is to be determined by the ‘best interests of the child’ standard. Moreover, the court considers the following twelve factors in determining what is in the child’s best interest:

• The love, affection, and other emotional ties existing between the parties involved and the child;
• The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to give the child love, affection, and guidance and to continue the education and raising of the child in his or her religion or creed, if any;
• The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to provide the child with food, clothing, medical care or other remedial care recognized and permitted under the laws of this state in place of medical care, and other material needs;
• The length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment, and the desirability of maintaining continuity;
• The permanence, as a family unit, of the existing or proposed custodial home or homes;
• The moral fitness of the parties involved;
• The mental and physical health of the parties involved;
• The home, school, and community record of the child;
• The reasonable preference of the child, if the court deems the child to be of sufficient age to express a preference;
• The willingness and ability of each of the parties to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship between the child and the other parent or the child and the parents;
• Domestic violence, regardless of whether the violence was directed against or witnessed by a child;
• Any other factor considered by the court to be relevant to a particular child custody dispute.

Child custody can be modified to accommodate significant changes in the lives of the children or the parents involved. It is important that any party dealing with legal or physical custody, visitation and/or parenting time issues consult an attorney so that they have a full understanding of their rights.

The dedicated and compassionate attorneys at Robbins & Licavoli are highly experienced in resolving divorce and child custody cases in Oakland County and surrounding areas. Contact our office today to connect with our team and discuss your case.